The Dream Team Clinic at Waxman’s Gym with the Best in the World!

I have been meaning to share some photos along with a little bit about my experience at the Dream Team Coaches Clinic led by some of the best Olympic weightlifters and coaches in the world. My brother Jonathan signed us up for the three day clinic held at Waxman’s gym the moment he saw it was coming to our area and it was one of the most eye opening experiences any of us had in regards to weightlifting. The team leading the clinic consisted of:

“Vasiliy Polovnikov
2008 European silver medalist and 9-time Russian national champion. Currently preparing for 2014 European championships.

Ilya Ilyin
2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, 2005, 2006, and 2011 world champion, world and Olympic record holder in the clean and jerk and total in the 94 kg class.

Zygmunt Smalcerz
1972 Olympic champion, 3-time world champion, 4-time european champion, former world record holder in the snatch at 52kg, former head weightlifting coach for Poland, current head weightlfting coach for the United States.”

The four men definitely lived up to the “Dream Team” hype and to get the chance to watch them lift, coach, and break down technique was phenomenal. They introduced us to a completely different perspective and approach to the lifts along with their favorite methods for strengthening and refining different parts of the clean, jerk, and snatch. I got to work hands on with the coaches in front of the group and despite a bit of a language barrier, they were very effective in improving my technique and positions with my lifts. Getting coached by world record holders was surreal and a very cool experience. The course was a wealth of information and the biggest takeaway for me was the training exercises they demonstrated for strengthening different aspects of the lifts. I have incorporated them into my training and look forward to seeing my technique improve and to have some fun pushing my limits. As a coach I also gained a lot of insight into how to help my athletes improve even more and find success in Olympic weightlifting. The future is bright for myself and CrossFit Kinnick lifters with our constant effort to learn and refine the Olympic lifts!